The World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) has hosted the Soy Food Festival Ghana 2024 to mark a significant milestone in WISHH's ongoing efforts to promote health, nutrition, and food security in Ghana and across Africa.

Building on the successes of the first Soy Food Festival held in Uganda in September 2023, the Ghana edition, under the theme “Collaborate, Innovate, Transform: The Future of Soy in Ghana”, sought to raise awareness about the many opportunities in the soy value chain and to create partnerships between soy experts, innovators, and entrepreneurs from Ghana and the U.S geared towards the broader goal of promoting food security within the continent.

The Thursday event brought together various key stakeholders from across the soy value chain, marking a significant milestone in WISHH's ongoing efforts to promote health, nutrition, and food security in Ghana and across Africa.

Rolf Olson, Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) of the U.S. Embassy in Ghana highlighted some of the initiatives implemented by WISHH because of its partnerships with farmers in Ghana. 

Gena Perry, Executive Director of WISHH emphasized soy’s role in shaping the future of food saying, "Today, we're not just talking about soy; we're envisioning a future where collaboration drives innovation, and innovation transforms lives".

The Director of Crop Sciences at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Solomon Gyan Ansah, also highlighted the government's commitment to boosting food security through strategic partnerships in soy research and development.

“If we want to improve food security in Ghana, the government cannot do it all, private sector, donor agencies, and partners must come in so we can reach our food security needs and even export”, he said.

The event featured a panel discussion dubbed “Collaborative Innovation: Transforming Ghana’s Soy Sector.”

This presented a platform for over 200 in-person and 400 online participants from the soy value chain, including farmers, researchers, nutritionists, and entrepreneurs to discuss how research and technology can increase soy productivity and how soy-based nutrition can be a sustainable solution for food security.

There was also the Soy World Exhibition, where a diverse range of soy-based products and the latest research from institutions like the University of Florida and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, were showcased, demonstrating soy’s adaptability in both food and feed production.

Ghana has made great strides in reducing malnutrition. However, food security remains an issue, with 39.4% of the population suffering moderate or severe food insecurity as of 2022.

As global food systems face increasing pressures, soy is emerging as a sustainable and versatile crop capable of addressing nutritional and agricultural challenges across the continent.